10 Scariest Beings in Gaming

From giant squid-like creatures to the embodiment and manifestation of the past through trauma, these beings are in the olympus of scariness and are the ignition of countless players’ nightmares.

Giant Dianoga – Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire

Nintendo 64 deserves to be crowned as the console with the scariest titles (yes, more than Playstation 2 and GameCube); even the non-horror-themed games are scary. The Zelda series and this Star Wars entry support the aforementioned statement. 

Shadows Of The Empire provides some of the creepiest settings and creatures in gaming, regardless of being an action game. IG-88 was a worthy runner up, but the Giant Dianoga made players reluctant to even try to face it. The most formidable foe in the ugliest and scariest level in the game.

Lurker – Dead Space

Do I even have to utter a word? Just look at it. Dead Space is, along with the Silent Hill and Resident Evil franchises, the universe with the widest variety of horrible creatures. Hunters, Leapers and Dividers could have gotten a few more words here, but Lurkers are a hideous abomination in every single aspect. With a very detailed design and one of the coolest attack animations in the series, these creatures are the scariest necromorph in all of Dead Space.

Twin Victims – Silent Hill 4: The Room

Out of the four games put ut by the legendary Team Silent, The Room might be the weakest. However, its Twin Victims caused the biggest and deepest impact on me. I can count with my fingers the number of occasions in which I turned off the console before facing an enemy.

The very first one was here, in the Water Prison. The repetition of the whispering Deceiver, the design, the grunting and the finger pointing at you constitute one of the most ominous moments in the, perhaps, scariest series in gaming.

Eddie Gluskin – Outlast: Whistleblower

Indeed, Eddie is a scary-looking guy but he is not the ugliest or the most horrible in Outlast. What earns him a spot in the list is his modus operandi. The guy wants you to be his wife; his Darling. Is that scary? Well, take into account that you are Waylon Park, a man. 

He is willing to do whatever it takes to make you (or anyone around him) look like a woman. Provided his looks and his course of action are combined, he is undoubtedly the scariest asylum dweller. Furthermore, add the aforementioned to the feeling of defencelessness of being in control of a guy that is only capable of running away and changing camera batteries.

Iron Maiden - Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4 is the most famous title in the Resident Evil catalogue for a fair few reasons; it reinvented Survival Horror and  accomplished the perfect combination of horror and action. Dead Space took note and shooters owe a lot to his over-the-shoulder perspective.

The scariest creature in the journey is found within the least scary section: the island. Sure, Regenerators are appalling, but Iron Maidens are basically the same creature but worse. Spiky hugs, the same horrible breathing sound and a face that would fit perfectly in the elite section of body horror movies give these foes the edge over their family-friendly version for the most frightening monster in the game.

The Crawling Ghost – Fatal Frame III

Fatal Frame is the reason why I had to change the name of this very post from monsters to beings. Tapping into the famous and infamous japanese folklore, the series does not feature monsters or creatures but ghosts.

There exist several that deserve to be mentioned and could be taken into account for the list, for instance The Falling Woman or The Broken Neck Woman; nonetheless, The Crawling Ghost is hands down the scariest and offers what most definitely is the scariest moment in the best horror franchise of all time following Silent Hill and Resident Evil.

Terry Akers – Soma

Terry Akers is the Soma version of Amnesia’s Servant Grunts but superior in scare factor. Its shape and movements are very alike, albeit differentiable. Frictional Games are masterminds in crafting immersive horror; the atmosphere sorrounding the Grunts was totally different and took advantage of light and its absence to build up the tension. On the other hand, with Terry Akers we are in an underwater facility with perfect functional lighting and he is still intimidating and scary. Soma, much like Amnesia: The Dark Descent, takes its time to craft the scares, but when delievered, they are some of the finest in horror gaming.

Xenomorph – Alien: Isolation 

Putting aside a couple of sections and the length of the whole game, Alien: Isolation is a nearly-perfect horror game. It’s tense, scary, challenging and highly entertaining. I adore it but I do not want to play it again for a while. The game is extremely rewarding but takes its toll on you. 

And if the title is now a household name in horror videogames is mainly because of its star: the Xenomorph. This horror icon has never been scarier. I dare to say that it surpases even the humongous Alien. If played on the hardest setting difficulty, as it is meant to be played, you will have to endure and suffer a horrible creature powered by what might be the best A.I. used in any horror game.

Laura – The Evil Within 

The Evil Within has been addressed before on this website. It divided audiences and critics alike. However, what it lacks in gameplay, innovation and originality it makes it up for a spectacular monster design. From the cool-looking Slient Hill rip off that is The Keeper to the creature ocuppying this spot, Laura, the game features fearsome and hostile monsters. 

Regarding design and looks, Laura is the scariest in all of The Evil Within. Its introduction is chilling and creepy as well, but the way it moves and its appearance are what makes every encounter feel compelling and fear inducing. Anima’s sections are scarier, but no one in this universe is as unpleasant to the eye as Laura.

Suppressor – The Suffering: Ties That Bind 

For anyone mentioning The Suffering frachise among the heavyweights in horror gaming, please be aware that I totally second that statement. Often overlooked and underestimated, The Suffering gave me some of my fondest gaming memories and offers scary moments and creatures galore. 

The first game is better and more frightening, but the second entry is filled with a wider variety of encounters and creatures. Out of them the Suppressor is the most horrible and weird. If the picture below is not clear enough, I proceed to describe its attributes: it is a legless creature, it has a flashlight for face, it grunts and it has machine guns in his body; indeed, functional machine guns. How cute.

Honorable mentions:

Father Dagon - Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth 

Dead Hand - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 

Lisa - P.T.

Rat King - The Last Of Us: Part II

Servant Grunt - Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Giant Fetus - Resident Evil: Village

Piggsy - Manhunt

The Teacher - Little Nightmares II

The Wendigo - Until Dawn

Chimera - Fallout

The Witch - Left 4 Dead